Judgment_paragraph 146 · Ministero dell’Interno, Dipartimento per le Libertà civili e l'Immigrazione – Unità Dublino and Others v CZA and Others (C-228/21)

146It is clear from the wording of Article 17(1) of the Dublin III Regulation that that provision is optional in so far as it leaves it to the discretion of each Member State to decide to examine an application for international protection lodged with it, even if that examination is not its responsibility under the criteria defined by that regulation for determining the Member State responsible. The exercise of that option is not, moreover, subject to any particular condition. That option is intended to allow each Member State to decide, in its absolute discretion, on the basis of political, humanitarian or practical considerations, to agree to examine an asylum application even if it is not responsible under the criteria laid down in that regulation (judgment of 23 January 2019, M.A. and Others, C‑661/17, EU:C:2019:53, paragraph 58).